The Nissan Leaf hatchback battery electric vehicles have, over the years, been identified to be competitive and usable electric cars. In 2017, Nissan introduced the second generation of Leaf, which packs a few unique features.
In this guide, I’ll provide you with answers to some of the often-asked questions regarding Nissan Leaf models. Without further ado, let’s dive right in.
Why are used Nissan Leafs so cheap?
The Nissan Leaf, first introduced in 2010, is a compact five-door hatchback battery electric vehicle by Nissan. Over the years, the car has lost parts of its value, becoming cheap.
Some of the reasons for this degradation are that the hatchback battery electric vehicle offers limited ranges and less-attractive designs. That’s not all; Nissan Leaf is also cheap because it often faces high battery degradation. With that, it means the owner will have to replace the battery from time to time. Unfortunately, the cost of getting a new Nissan Leaf battery is high – to be precise, it can cost up to $5,000 plus installation.
How do you check the battery life on a Nissan Leaf?
When it comes to checking the battery life of your Nissan Leaf, you can do it in a few ways. However, all the options require that you fully charge the battery.
That said, one of the best ways to check the battery life of your Nissan Leaf, as noted above, is to charge it fully. After that, you need to drive the vehicle until the battery discharges to a fixed voltage value. Check the display to note the mileage and then calculate the capacity of the battery.
Apart from that, the second method involves fully charging the battery and then utilizing anything with a stable power draw to discharge it. After that, note down the discharge time and then calculate the battery capacity of the Nissan Leaf Battery.
How long does it take to charge a Nissan Leaf on 110v?
Depending on the amperage for a depleted Nissan Leaf Battery on 110v, it can take up to a full day (about 20 hours) to fully charge it. The fact remains that a level 1 charger (110v – 120v) is always slower compared to using a level 2 (240v) charger.
Why you can always change to level 2 charging, the truth is it’s not that easy. That’s because installing a 240v charging requires following some set of rules and regulations. Of course, depending on your country, doing that requires getting a permit and an expert to run the installation for you – this can be very expensive. Interestingly, a level 2 charger can fully charge your Nissan Leaf battery within 4 to 8 hours.
Should I charge my Nissan Leaf every day?
Let’s face it; there’s nothing wrong with charging your Nissan Leaf every day. That’s because you need to keep charging the battery for as long as you need it. The only problem, however, might arise from charging the Nissan Leaf battery to 100% every day.
According to many people, this can cause a quick degradation of the battery. While that’s so, a few people have also confirmed that charging up the battery to 100% every day didn’t affect their Nissan Leaf battery. That said, you can always charge your battery every day – but be mindful when doing that.
How do you increase SOH on a Nissan Leaf?
The state of health (SOH) of your Nissan Leaf hatchback battery EV is a measure of the battery’s ability to keep up and deliver electrical energy compared to a new battery.
That said, for you to improve and maintain the SOH of the hatchback battery electric vehicle (BEV), one of the things that you need to do is to leave the car average charged (about 40 – 60%) all the time. This method will indeed work in helping you maintain the SOH of the battery.
Furthermore, you can also improve and maintain your Nissan Leaf SOH by limiting DC fast charging, especially during the winter season. Also, ensure you avoid prolonged exposure (your car) to direct sunlight.
Why does my Leaf only charge 80%?
If your Nissan Leaf only charges 80%, what that means is your battery has a charge limit to that percentage. Well, you can always switch back to 100% if that’s what you want. Before showing you how to do that, it’s worth knowing that 80% is a good option if you’re looking to maintain the battery’s SOH.
That said, here’s how to set the extended life mode for your Nissan Leaf battery without a navigation system. First, you need to locate switch A – this is always on the left side of your combination meter panel. After that, the next thing to do is to push it.
Furthermore, also locate switch B and push it to highlight the charge percentage of the battery. Lastly, use the switch to highlight the “100%” option, then press the Switch to complete the selection.
How do I stop my Nissan LEAF from charging?
The best way to stop charging your Nissan Leaf battery is by using an EV Charging Point with a timer. You can also stop charging with an EVSE that has a WiFi app.
Can I charge a Nissan Leaf at a Tesla station?
If you are talking about a fast-charging station, it’s worth knowing that you can’t use a Tesla Supercharger for your Nissan Leaf EV. The reason for that is the plugs are not compatible, and there are no adaptors available for Supercharge.
However, there are a few Tesla chargers that will charge other non-Tesla electric vehicles (EVs), such as Nissan Leaf. All you need is to get an adaptor to use the charging system. Using this approach will help to convert from the Tesla connector to your Nissan Leaf charging connector.
Nissan Leaf towing
How much can a Nissan Leaf tow?
You need to understand that it’s not all Nissan Leafs that have an excellent towing capacity. For instance, Nissan didn’t design the 2012 Leaf model for towing. However, by installing a tow-hitch on the vehicle, you can always use it for towing activities.
That said, let’s go back to the burning question of how much Nissan Leaf can tow. The answer is the towing weight limit of the hatchback battery electric vehicle is 2000 lbs (907 kilograms).
Can a Nissan Leaf tow a small trailer?
To answer this question, let me start by asking; what is the weight of a small trailer? A small open utility trailer can weigh up to 700 lbs when empty and about 1,000 – 3,000 including payload.
Furthermore, a small enclosed utility trailer can weigh up to 1,000 lbs on average when it’s empty and about 2,000 to 7,000 lbs (907 kg to 3175 kg) with a payload.
That said, a Nissan Leaf can tow an empty small open utility trailer and an empty small enclosed utility trailer. Moreover, the electric vehicle can even go as far as towing a Teardrop Trailer, weighing about 1,700 pounds (770 kilograms) on average.
Can a Nissan Leaf be towed behind an RV?
According to the Nissan owner manual, there are two ways to tow your Nissan Leaf battery-electric vehicle successfully. One of the methods requires using an RV trailer with all four tires of your Leaf off the ground.
The second approach involves using a Tow Dolly. However, with this method, your Nissan Leaf rear tires have to be on the ground while the two front tires stay off the ground.
Is Nissan Leaf battery warranty transferable?
According to the Nissan Leaf warranty manual, the battery warranty is generally transferable. Here’s what the manual reads below:
“The transfer of battery warranty is from the original owner of the vehicle (apart from the dealer) to subsequent vehicle owners at any time ownership of the vehicle is transferred.”
Nissan Leaf spare tire
There are many benefits attached to having spare tires with your vehicles. One of them is that it helps you get home safely when you have issues with your car tires. However, some newer cars don’t offer a spare tire. So, this brings us to the question of; does Nissan Leaf provide a spare tire?
Does Nissan leaf come with a spare tire?
Not all the Nissan Leaf models don’t come with a spare tire like some other vehicles do. Instead, the battery-electric cars provide an emergency tire repair kit, including an air compressor and tire sealant. The 2019 Nissan Leaf, however, comes equipped with a spare tire.
Nissan leaf spare tire location
As earlier mentioned, the 2019 Nissan Leaf model comes with a space-saver spare tire. However, it’s not located on the car boot’s floor. Instead, the tire is located under the bottom of the car.
Nissan leaf charger upgrade
Upgrading your Nissan Leaf charger requires a few complex processes. One of them is that you’ll need to improve the high-voltage wiring. That’s not all; you’ll also need to upgrade the battery controller, the inverter, as well as the charger unit.
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